Before you worry about riding your horse one handed, you need to make sure you have excellent control two handed. Start practicing by riding with your hands in a position where it will be easy to transition to one handed riding,
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Some horses are afraid or nervous when you try to bathe them. This can be very frustrating and has the potential to be dangerous for you and your horse. This month, we will discuss how to get your horse accustomed to bathing and water on his body and how you can adapt your training philosophy to make the entire process relaxed and safe for both of you.
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In this month’s article, we will cover how to prepare your horse for the farrier. This is not focused on fixing a horse that has problems with having his feet handled, we are just going to cover some exercises that will make your horse easy and pleasant to shoe. I firmly believe that it is your job, and your responsibility as a horse owner, to have your horse trained to stand quietly and politely while his feet are being trimmed and shod. Your farrier should not have to train your horse.
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Horses are instinctively herd-bound. It’s one of seven categories of instinctive behavior in horses and it is known as gregarious behavior. Quite simply, it’s desire to be with others. (By the way, the other categories of instinctive behavior in horses are flight, combative, ingestive, eliminative, reproductive and investigative behaviors.)
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Hoof care is an important element in the care of a horse. With a young horse it is important to start foot care early. Handle the feet as soon as a foal will allow it. You can prevent a lot of conformation problems by trimming early. Sometimes a hoof grows upright and boxy instead of at an angle like a normal hoof. This is called a clubfoot.
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Riding up and down hills is a fun and challenging part of trail riding. Sometimes people run into problems with their horse wanting to rush up or down a hill, getting anxious, and not feeling safe or in control. This month we will cover how to ride up and down hills,
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Doing anything in a herd of horses has the potential to be dangerous. If you don’t have the respect of every horse in your herd, you can be run over or inadvertently kicked as your horses establish their pecking order. It is very important that you establish your leadership in the herd to maintain your safety. If one horse kicks or threatens another horse while you are in the area,
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In January of 2012 I was able to check something off my “bucket list.” (I hadn’t even realized it was included!) I rode in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California! Now I’m not a parade aficionado by any means. However, I learned some interesting details about this event over the last few weeks:
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Spurs are associated with horsemanship, right along-side bits and saddles. Yet there remains confusion and sometimes intimidation in regard to their use in some riders’ minds. This article is an attempt to “demystify” spurs and discuss who should use them along with when and how.
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A spooky horse can be difficult to ride. You might feel you never know what will set off the next jump, and sometimes one horse spooking will set off the horses around him. It is easy for a spook to turn into a wreck.
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